There Will Be Typos. (Trust Me On This.)

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There Will Be Typos. (Trust Me On This.)

By Joanna Campbell Slan, @joannaslan ‏

New Release

March 18 marked the birthday (aka, release date) of my newest book, Second Chance at Faith: Book #4 in the Second Chance Series. There will be typos. Groan. I’m sure of it.

I’m fortunate enough to have several terrific proofreaders who read over my work before it’s available to the public. No matter how many pairs of eyes view the document, I’m always amazed at the different mistakes each person catches.

Nowhere on the Map

For example, one of my readers pointed out that there is no such place as Gibsontown, Florida. It’s actually Gibsonton.

Men, Man, Woman, Huh?

Another proofreader noticed that I kept writing Highwayman when I meant Highwaymen. I can’t explain that. I think it’s because the title is already confusing because there are 25 men and one woman. That’s my best excuse. So are they Highwaymenandwoman? Or Highwaypeople? Discerning readers will want to know.

Birds of a Feather

Another reader noticed that “snowy white egrets” should actually be Snowy Egrets. That’s their name. So, I knew they were snowy. I knew they were egrets. I didn’t know their proper name was Snowy Egrets. All this time, I thought people were being descriptive when they were being accurate. Sigh.

Sven Again?

Someone pointed out that I’d named a character “Sven” in another book, and I’m using the name again. Oh, golly. I’ve never known anyone named Sven. Ever. Somehow, Sven’s the only Scandinavian name that comes to mind when I write. Go figure. Here’s another odd factoid: My sister had our DNA tested and I’m…wait for it…Scandinavian. I had no idea. (My mother was adopted, so all this came as news.)

Actually, I Learned I Lean On That Word. Hard.

I ran the document through Grammarly, a writing program, and the computer brain behind Grammarly pointed out my repeated use of “actually.” Which I actually hadn’t noticed until Grammarly highlighted it. Actually, I did notice it, but I actually like that word. A lot.

Do Not Taunt Me With Tautology

I also learned, via Grammarly, about tautologies. A new word for me, but one I’ll never forget. Here are a few examples: In my opinion, I think… OR He sat down and took a seat.

Take a Pass at This

Over the years, I’ve learned to edit in passes. Each time I reread my work, I look for specific problems. Many of these my proofreaders missing. One is the MIA character. If a character shows up at the start of a scene (or is expected to show up), I need to explain where that character is/was/disappeared to during the scene. Another specific problem is physical placement. If a character sits down at the start of a scene, that same character cannot also later sit down. Unless he/she topples to the floor. All this might seem pretty silly and easy to track, but when you have five or six characters interacting, you need to keep an eye on all of them. If you don’t, they could be turning cartwheels in the streets.

A Rose By Any Other Name is Rosa

Yet another pass I make is the name change edit. I’ve been known to completely change a character’s name in the middle of a book. This time I swapped “Papo” for “Papa.” Fortunately, I caught that one.

Redundancy Again?

The big bombshell fell on my house when an advance reader said, “This book has a lot of redundant passages.”

Really? I wondered. Could that be true?

I sat down with the book and read it in one gulp. Bless that reader’s sharp eyes. She was right. For some unknown and perhaps unknowable reason, I repeated a certain explanation of events. Not once. Or twice. I did it three or four times. Thanks to that smart reader’s comment, I cut 3,000 words and three characters who had no business wandering around the pages of my book.

After the Fact, Sigh

Sadly, I cut all that deadwood AFTER the proofreaders saw the book. So, I am sure there will be mistakes. But given the choice between a great, fast-reading story with typos and a fat, loggy book that’s typo-free, I choose the former. Maybe someday I’ll learn to write a book, turn it over to the proofreader, and quit tinkering with it. But not this month!

Joanna’s most recent book (that nearly killed her) is Second Chance at Faith: Book #4 in the Second Chance Series. Read it here. Commiserate with Joanna by going here.